SNOW HILL — Corp. Billy Yelverton, former Bull Head native residing now in Wilson, spent four years in the Marines during the Vietnam War.

“I thought it would be an honor to serve my country,” he said, “and so I enlisted during the Vietnam War and went to Vietnam. And when I got there, I was afraid and lacked experience.”

Yelverton was fortunate to come home, while many others didn’t.

“When I look back,” he said, “I think about the ones that didn’t come back and didn’t make it, and it really gave me a sense of pride, like today, to honor them.”

Yelverton was one of many people, including some local officials, who were present at a Memorial Day ceremony held Monday in front of the Greene County Courthouse.

What Yelverton did bring back with him was what is now called post traumatic stress disorder and he still deals with some symptoms today. Still, he encourages others to be thankful for the freedom through the sacrifices made by others.

Sherelda Bizzell and her son, Brice Bizzell, 13, of Greenville both said it is an honor to support those who have served in the military. Brice, a Boy Scout in Troop 25 in Farmville, led the Pledge of Allegiance in the ceremony.

“My dad, he was in the Marines,” Brice said. “So it’s a great honor to be here to serve my family members and show appreciation.”

Two empty chairs faced the courthouse — one holding a wreath and the other had ribbons placed on it. The chair symbolizes the prisoners of war and those missing in action, while the ribbons represent each of 12 local veterans who have died in the last 12 months out of the 1,500 known to be living in the area, said Jasper Jones, Commander of Snow Hill American Legion Post 536, who provided the opening remarks.

He went on to explain the meaning of the wreath.

“The wreath serves as a reminder to all of us,” he said, “to spare no effort to secure the release of any American prisoners from captivity, and to return the remains of those who died bravely.”

The speaker was Chief Master Sgt. Thomas E. Smith who retired from the Air Force as commander of the 916th Air Refueling Wing, the Air Force Command tanker unit at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

His assignments included Operation Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operation Joint Forge, Operation Enduring Freedom and Vietnam. He explained how he was told by security officers in the jungle in Vietnam to turn off a floodlight he had turned on to see from where bullets were firing. The lights prevented the soldiers from seeing their way in the jungle. It was a life lesson.

“Not only am I over here to protect and serve the Constitution of the United States ...,” he said, “It made me feel was what I had to do is not only think about myself, but I had to think about my comrades that were in the jungle and do whatever I could to keep them safe.”

Page 2 of 2 - Smith held up an American flag, and said the red and white stripes represent the blood shed for the country. He pointed out the 50 stars, noting it is a “unified flag.”

“We’re supposed to protect everyone,” he said. “Wouldn’t it be a great thing if everybody was protected and felt safe and gainfully employed, which means that we’d pay more taxes and we won’t have the social unrest that we have today.”

Smith said everything on the flag is united. He especially talked to the young people, admonishing them to take advantage of the freedom they enjoy through the sacrifices made by others by working hard.

Later, he responded to questions asked about the loss of veteran lives through alleged neglect in the VA hospitals. Smith said he fulfilled his side of the contract by serving the country.

“It’s a travesty,” Smith said about the neglect. “... That’s the problem that most of the veterans are dealing with now. They’re seeing their benefits erode. They have done what the contract said to do and now it’s time for the Department of Defense and the government to do their part.”

He recommended veterans keep their documents in order and look at the time scheduled for them when they are getting medical appointments. But he was excited about the Veterans Affairs announcing it will be contracting out services for veterans, adding that is a “huge plus.”

Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com . Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.